The Decline of Red Delicious

(Curly Sue) said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that doesn't seem to like Red
Delicious. They are pretty much my least favorite apple, and remind
me of eating wood.

--
Richard W Kaszeta
[email hidden]
http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Curly Sue) said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

I saw that article on the Washington Post website. The apple growers
wanted an apple that would look great in a fruit bowl. Never mind that
it had the taste and mouthfeel of cork. Beauty is only skin deep. Give
me an old school McIntosh or Cortland any day. And Rome Beauties for
applesauce.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

Richard Kaszeta said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one that doesn't seem to like Red
Delicious. They are pretty much my least favorite apple, and remind
me of eating wood.

So sad.

I recall when they were in their heyday, back in the late 60's. Our
family lived in Eastern WA for a year, not too far from Wanatchee, a
town in the heart of WA's apple country. The RD's we'd get were
awesome. The size of softballs, they popped! when you bit into them
and snapped off a chunk, they were so crisp. They were so juicy it was
impossible to eat one without wearing a bib or doing a Japanese bow to
avoid getting your shirt wet. The flavor was sublime. One of the
finest fruits I've ever tasted.

Now, RD's are so bad I haven't eaten one on years, preferring Fuji's
and others like the article states. Even worse, I've already noticed
a decline in Fuji quality since their rise in popularity. But, this is
not new news. It's been happening to all produce for decades, as we
all know. And the whole organic scam has done nothing to reverse this
trend. All it does is increase prices while delivering nothing in
inproved flavor. o/~ o/~ Money for nothing and ...flavor free o/~....

nb

"notbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Richard Kaszeta said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one that doesn't seem to like Red
Delicious. They are pretty much my least favorite apple, and remind
me of eating wood.

So sad.

I recall when they were in their heyday, back in the late 60's. Our
family lived in Eastern WA for a year, not too far from Wanatchee, a
town in the heart of WA's apple country. The RD's we'd get were
awesome. The size of softballs, they popped! when you bit into them
and snapped off a chunk, they were so crisp. They were so juicy it was
impossible to eat one without wearing a bib or doing a Japanese bow to
avoid getting your shirt wet. The flavor was sublime. One of the
finest fruits I've ever tasted.

Now, RD's are so bad I haven't eaten one on years, preferring Fuji's
and others like the article states. Even worse, I've already noticed
a decline in Fuji quality since their rise in popularity. But, this is
not new news. It's been happening to all produce for decades, as we
all know. And the whole organic scam has done nothing to reverse this
trend. All it does is increase prices while delivering nothing in
inproved flavor. o/~ o/~ Money for nothing and ...flavor free o/~....

nb

I, too, went to Fuji apples and loved them, but the last two years they are
beginning to be a questionable purchase. They seem to have a
green/purplish/red color, you know, like oil setting on top of a water
puddle. I've seen this is different kinds of produce, say, cabbage. I've
been wondering if this is the radiation they've started using, but since it
doesn't say 'irradiated' on the boxes (as it well should have it stated),
you can't say that this is what is causing that irridescent color/colors. I
try not to purchase anything that has this un-appetizing color on the
outside, not knowing what the heck has been done to the inside as a result.

Go ahead and post all you wish about irradiation not causing harm,
pesticides not causing cancer, and so on; but it falls on deaf ears here.
Not to say that I don't eat things that are probably harmful to me
occasionally, but I do buy organic and will pay the price for it unless it's
just exhorbitant due to off-season. I'm not able to get a lot of organic
produce. After the way the price of tomatoes went up in the past two years,
one is hardly in the position to complain about prices of any produce; it
just keeps on getting higher. I don't mind that if it is quality (that is,
if EYE consider it quality.)

P.S. It would be nice to get a rutabaga not covered by 2# of wax -- tee hee!
Haven't seen one in years now.
Dee Dee

Curly Sue said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Duh! As if they couldn't figure this out before they ruined it
altogether? I sometimes think all plant breeders are mentally ill. (I
used to work with them, so have some insight...)

-L.

Curly Sue said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Duh! As if they couldn't figure this out before they ruined it
altogether? I sometimes think all plant breeders are mentally ill. (I
used to work with them, so have some insight...)

-L.

One time on Usenet said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Curly Sue) said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Quoted message said:

I saw that article on the Washington Post website. The apple growers
wanted an apple that would look great in a fruit bowl. Never mind that
it had the taste and mouthfeel of cork. Beauty is only skin deep. Give
me an old school McIntosh or Cortland any day. And Rome Beauties for
applesauce.

Remember the thread about "what from where", listing good local foods.
I almost didn't even mention apples from WA, because they're just not
that good anymore. Makes me sad...

Jani (Who loves Gravensteins)

On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 19:23:24 GMT, [email hidden]

(S'mee AKA Jani) said:

Jani (Who loves Gravensteins)

Mmmm, Gravensteins.

Too bad the season is so short.

But I hope the growers don't take that as an invitation to mess with
Granenstein's genetics to lengthen the season.

[email hidden] (Curly Sue) wrote in news:42f36ec1.5964997@news-
server.nyc.rr.com:

Quoted message said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Thanks for the article Sue. The RD apples here are pretty lousy. They are
tiny in size and tasteless. I remember when they were huge, juicy and
crunchy. Pretty sad.

Michael

Curly Sue said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

The ones imported into Honduras from Chile are definitely different
from US Red Delcious apples. Not quite as mealy textured. They actually
have a flavor and are jucier than WA state Red Delicious that we get
imported here. In fact, given a choice between Chilean apples and US
apples, I'll take the Chilean - and this is from a former resident of
WA state.

Sandi

Same thing for Granny Smith use to love them but now more often than not
their mealy and the taste isn't very exciting. Oranges are getting to be
the same way.

Marc

"Sandi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Curly Sue said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

The ones imported into Honduras from Chile are definitely different
from US Red Delcious apples. Not quite as mealy textured. They actually
have a flavor and are jucier than WA state Red Delicious that we get
imported here. In fact, given a choice between Chilean apples and US
apples, I'll take the Chilean - and this is from a former resident of
WA state.

Sandi

Marc (N_O-S_P_A_M) said:

"Sandi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Curly Sue said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

The ones imported into Honduras from Chile are definitely different
from US Red Delcious apples. Not quite as mealy textured. They actually
have a flavor and are jucier than WA state Red Delicious that we get
imported here. In fact, given a choice between Chilean apples and US
apples, I'll take the Chilean - and this is from a former resident of
WA state.

Quoted message said:

Same thing for Granny Smith use to love them but now more often than not
their mealy and the taste isn't very exciting. Oranges are getting to be
the same way.

Marc

I buy the Chilean Granny Smith and Fujis for the same reason: better
quality than the US imports.

A lot of export stuff from the US does not make the trip down here very
well. Candies,cookies, crackers, and fruits being the problematic
areas. Cheeses and deli meats are fine although I've found the stuff
imported from New Zealand to be of equal or better quality and a bit
less expensive.

Sandi

Marc (N_O-S_P_A_M) said:

"Sandi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Curly Sue said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

The ones imported into Honduras from Chile are definitely different
from US Red Delcious apples. Not quite as mealy textured. They actually
have a flavor and are jucier than WA state Red Delicious that we get
imported here. In fact, given a choice between Chilean apples and US
apples, I'll take the Chilean - and this is from a former resident of
WA state.

Quoted message said:

Same thing for Granny Smith use to love them but now more often than not
their mealy and the taste isn't very exciting. Oranges are getting to be
the same way.

Marc

I buy the Chilean Granny Smith and Fujis for the same reason: better
quality than the US imports.

A lot of export stuff from the US does not make the trip down here very
well. Candies,cookies, crackers, and fruits being the problematic
areas. Cheeses and deli meats are fine although I've found the stuff
imported from New Zealand to be of equal or better quality and a bit
less expensive.

Sandi

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Cindy Fuller said:

That's actually one reason why I didn't mention them, but SO chimed in.
He LIKES red delicious apples.

I like SOME red delicious apples, or used to like them. I do agree that
in recent years most of the ones available in supermarkets have been
lacking in flavor.

Some other apple varieties just don't agree with me. McIntosh (and some
others) have something in them that makes me slightly nauseuos. So
maybe that's one reason why I gravitated toward RDs.

--
Julian Vrieslander

Check your local farmers market. You may find there is a local grower
who still raises heirloom red delicious.

Curly Sue said:

"They eventually went too far and ended up with apples the public
didn't want to eat," said Lee Calhoun, an apple historian and retired
orchardist in Pittsboro, N.C.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8831038/

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

I didn't like Red Delicious Apples the first time I tried one over 30
years ago. I still don't like them. My grandparents had apple trees
on their farm that had been there for many generations. Now those were
good apples. I couldn't tell you the variety. They were probably
Jonathans or something similar.

It has been a long time since I have eaten a Red Delicious. I buy Fuji,
Gala, Braeburn and Jonagold.

My heart goes out to the Red Delicious growers. You have to be alert
and change with the times.

Becca

"Becca" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It has been a long time since I have eaten a Red Delicious. I buy Fuji,
Gala, Braeburn and Jonagold.

My heart goes out to the Red Delicious growers. You have to be alert and
change with the times.

The ones with the new crappy tasting ones had to update their orchards
with them after they were engineered into ruin, no? Didn't they taste what
they were going to get with their grafting or whatever it is they do?

nancy

Dee Randall said:

Go ahead and post all you wish about irradiation not causing harm,
pesticides not causing cancer, and so on; but it falls on deaf ears here.
Not to say that I don't eat things that are probably harmful to me
occasionally, but I do buy organic and will pay the price for it unless it's
just exhorbitant due to off-season. I'm not able to get a lot of organic
produce. After the way the price of tomatoes went up in the past two years,
one is hardly in the position to complain about prices of any produce; it
just keeps on getting higher. I don't mind that if it is quality (that is,
if EYE consider it quality.)

P.S. It would be nice to get a rutabaga not covered by 2# of wax -- tee hee!
Haven't seen one in years now.

You want organically grown produce, your #1 best bet is to grow it
yourself. I recommend JI Rodale's _How to Grow Fruits and Vegetables
using the Organic Method_ to anyone who gardens. Even if one doesn't
go all-organic (I rarely do), that book has a vast amount of good
info.
(note that a fair bit of what's sold at retail as 'organic' isn't)

--
-denny-

"I don't like it when a whole state starts
acting like a marital aid."
"John R. Campbell" in a Usenet post.